FAULT FINDING PROCESS IN TRANSFORMER

USING DGA ANALYSIS WITH THE HELP OF

MATLAB PROGRAMMING

By
Alok Kumar (29/06)
Nilav Kumar (175/06)
Md. Faiyaz Shafi (153/06)
Mohd. Imran Khan (157/06)
Manjeet Kumar Rajak (144/06)
 Objective
Study about the various types of transformer
faults and fault gases generated in their case.
Study about Dissolved Gas Analysis and
different techniques used for DGA.
MATLAB program was developed for the
simplification of Duval’s triangle analysis.
Implementation of the MATLAB program for a
few real time case studies (TATA STEEL)
 Introduction
Insulating materials within transformers
break down to liberate gases within the unit.
The distribution of these gases can be
related to the type of electrical fault.
Insulation deterioration factors
Aging factors
Water contamination
Particle contamination
Paper aging decomposition
Different types of faults and fault gases
Different gas generated in cases of different
faults.
 Dissolved Gas Analysis
Dissolved gas analysis ( DGA ) is widely used to
detect incipient faults in transformers.
Faults
Types of fault that can be detected using DGA

Thermal Electrical
 Different methods used for DGA

DGA

Duval’s Roger’s Key

Triangle Ratio Ratio
Key ratio method
The following ratios are used
CH4/H2 (PD assessment),
C2H2/C2H4 (Arcing),
C2H4/C2H6 (Oil overheating),
C2H2/C2H6 (Electrical discharge),
CO2/CO (Cellulose overhaeating)
C2H2/H2 (Oil contamination from divertor switch LTC),
N2/O2 (Consumption of oxygen),
C4H8/(ΣCXHY + H2) (Oil overheating at 150 -300
degree C)
On the axis of abscissas the maximum value of gas quantity is
taken for 1 on the axis of ordinates to plot a ratio in the
following sequence: H2, CH4, C2H6, C2H4, C2H2. Thereby a
pattern of typical fault could be displayed.
Roger’s Ratio
Rogers Ratio Method compares quantities of
different key gases by dividing one into the other.
By looking at the Gas Generation Chart one can
see that, at certain temperatures, one gas will be
generated more than another gas.
Rogers used these relationships and determined
that if a certain ratio existed, then a specific
temperature had been reached.
It uses following three ratios
(CH4/H2 ), (C2H4/ C2H6), (C2H2/C2H4)
Duval’s Triangle Method
The Duval Triangle was first developed in 1974 . It
uses three hydrocarbon gases only (CH4, C2H4 and
C2H2).
These three gases correspond to the increasing levels
of energy necessary to generate gases in transformers
in service.
In addition to the 6 zones of individual faults
mentioned in Table 2 (PD, D1, D2, T1, T2 or T3), an
intermediate zone DT has been attributed to mixtures
of electrical and thermal faults in the transformer.
Duval’s Triangle
Development of Duval’s triangle by
MATLAB PROGRAM
Conversion of triangular coordinate to
rectilinear coordinate.
Determination of the coordinates of
different fault zones.
Logic to check that fault coordinate
lies in which zone.
Different stages of MATLAB program
Step1 : We first draw the Duval’s triangle
and the different zones of faults.
Step 2: We input the data from case study.
Step 3: Detect the zone in which fault
coordinate lies.
Step 4: Draw the fault coordinate on the
Duval’s triangle plot.
Output of the program
Case Study
20 MVA Laddle Furnace # 2 Transformer in LD # 2 of
Tata Steel was operating normal without any problem.
Oil testing of this Transformer was carried out as per
routine schedule
S.no. Dissolved gas Value
(ppm)
Methane (CH4)
1. 5183
Ethylene (C2H4)
2. 9730
Ethane (C2H6)
3. 616
Acetylene (C2H2)
4. 1107
Hydrogen (H2)
5. 414
Carbon Mono Oxide
6. 3420
(CO)
Carbon Di Oxide
7. 6461
(CO2)
Output by Duval’s triangle:
>>duval
enter the value of CH4
5183
enter the value of C2H4
9730
enter the value of C2H2
1107
fault = T3

Output of MATLAB program

There is thermal fault of high temperature >700°C. This is confirmed by both the
methods used for DGA analysis.
This is due to Local overheating of the core due to concentration of flux. Increasing
hot spot temperatures; varying from small hot spots in the core, shorting links in the
core, overheating of copper due to eddy bad contacts/joints (pyrolytic carbon
formation) up to core and tank circulating currents.
Conclusion and Future Scope
This project report dealt with the modern preventive
maintenance technique of Dissolved Gas Analysis. The
purpose of this project is greatly solved with the
MATLAB program developed, which is used for some
of the real time case study data.

Direct online monitoring can be achieved by installing

a Gas analyser and interfacing it directly with the
software to sound an alarm in the case of a fault.
Thank You